1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a baby carrier used for holding a baby while walking, and more particularly, to a baby carrier suitably used for holding a baby in both a face-to-face manner and a forward-facing manner.
2. Description of Related Art
As one of baby carriers used for holding a baby while walking, a baby carrier for holding a baby in front of a user is known. A common manner for holding a baby is to hold the baby in a face-to-face manner such that the baby and the user face to each other as shown in FIG. 7A. In the face-to-face holding manner, since the user can always check the baby""s condition and the baby is watched by the user, both of them can obtain a strong sense of security. Furthermore, when the baby is sleepy, it can lean on the user and sleep in a comfortable position. Also, when the user supports the baby by arms in addition to the baby carrier, the baby can be stably supported. Therefore, most baby carriers employ a structure suitable for holding a baby in a face-to-face manner so as to entirely cover the baby from its back to its buttocks.
By the way, a baby is by nature full of curiosity and shows interest in the surroundings. However, in the case of the face-to-face holding manner, since the user interrupts the baby""s visual field, the baby cannot fully satisfy its curiosity. Furthermore, when the baby is held in the same position for a long time, it gets tired of being held. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7B, there is an increasing tendency-to prefer holding a baby in a xe2x80x9cforward-facing mannerxe2x80x9d in which the baby is faced to the same direction as the user to widen its visual field. Of course, since the face-to-face holding manner is superior to the forward-facing holding manner in view of the psychological and physical stabilities, a user does not always hold the baby in the forward-facing holding manner, but properly switches the holding manners in accordance with the baby""s conditions.
For this reason, a user uses the same baby carrier used for holding a baby in the face-to-face holding manner when holding the baby in the forward-facing manner. The accommodating direction of the baby has been turned around with respect to a carrier body.
In FIGS. 7A and 7B, the reference numerals 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 30 and 31 denote a carrier body, a back rest, a head rest, a pocket, a back-width adjusting member, shoulder belts and straps on tip ends of the shoulder belts, respectively.
However, when the baby carrier originally designed for holding a baby in the face-to-face manner is used for holding the baby in the forward-facing manner, the following problems have been raised.
A human""s upper part of the body and upper and lower limbs bend forward (thoracicoabdominal direction), and an outer length of the body in the bending direction is longer than an inner length of the body. In order to stably hold such a human body, or a baby, in the carrier body 10, the back rest 11 for supporting the baby from its back to its buttocks is formed wide and a crotch rest for supporting the baby from its lower abdomen to its inguinal region is formed slightly narrower. When such a baby carrier is used for holding a baby in the face-to-face manner, it is possible to entirely cover the baby from its back to its buttocks, resulting in a stable holding of the baby. However, when the baby is turned around to the opposite direction so as to be held in the forward-facing manner, the legs of the baby project from lower edges of the back rest 11 toward a back of the back rest in a slightly bending state. Thus, a lower portion of the wide back rest 11 supports the baby from its lower abdomen to its inguinal region. Furthermore, since the carrier body 10 is suspended, a weight of the baby is concentrated to the lower portion of the back rest 11. This causes the lower edges of the back rest 11 to press or bite into the inguinal region of the baby. Moreover, in the case of the forward-facing holding manner, since a baby can move its arms and legs more freely as compared with in the face-to-face holding manner, the pressure applied to the inguinal region of the baby becomes stronger.
In view of the above backgrounds, it is an object of the present invention to provide a baby carrier used for holding a baby safely and comfortably in both face-to-face and forward-facing manners.
To achieve the above object, a baby carrier used for holding a baby in both face-to-face and forward-facing manners according to the present invention includes a carrier body 10, 70 for accommodating a body of a baby, and a wearing member 30, 80, 85 secured to the carrier body 10, 70 for wearing the carrier body 10, 70 on a body of a user. The carrier body 10, 70 includes at least a back rest 11, 71, and is capable of accommodating and holding a baby in both a face-to-face holding manner in which the baby is held such that the back rest 11, 71 is brought into contact with the back of the baby and a forward-facing holding manner in which the baby is held such that the back rest 11, 71 is brought into contact with the chest and abdomen of the baby. The back rest 11, 71 includes a width-reducing member 50, 60, 44, 90 for reducing the width of a lower portion of the back rest to be located between legs of the baby when the baby is held in a forward-facing holding manner.
It is preferable that the width-reducing members 50, 60, 90 includes a pair of right and left annular members attached to the back of the back rest 11, 71 so as to be apart from each other at a predetermined distance and a gathering member for bringing the annular members close to each other by engaging with the annular members.
The annular member may be a loop-shaped member 51 made of soft material or a ring 61, 91 made of hard material.
The gathering member may be a string 52 passed through the annular members for bringing the annular members close to each other by tightening thereof, or a double hook member 62, 92 having hooks 64, 93 at its right and left opposite ends, whereby the double hook member 62, 92 brings the annular members into a closed state when the double hook member is hooked on the annular members.
Further, the gathering member may be fixed to outside of the back rest 11 between the right and left annular members, or may be detached from the back rest 71.
The width-reducing member may be separated and independent from the carrier body 10, and may be a belt 44 to be wound and fastened into a state in which the belt 44 gathers up the back rest 11. Further, the belt 10 may be attached to a pad 40 which is to be accommodated in the carrier body 10 for protecting the chest and abdomen of the baby.